The Runaways
by MikhailN
Summary: After meeting with a spy, Walther and Daniela and decide to run away from SWA to join the Padania
1. Chapter 1

**The Runaways**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Gunslinger Girl or its characters, which were taken from the manga series of the same name, all of which are the property of their creator, Yu Aida._

**The Mole**

Luciano sat at a bistro sipping a cup of coffee. He had taken some time off his work at Section 1 to meet a man from Section 2. One, he had heard, that was very unhappy with his work. You see, such individuals were easily persuaded to join the ranks of the Padania and having one in the SWA would be more than just an asset. An asset that if he presented to his unofficial bosses ... Luciano couldn't suppress the smile at that very thought.

The teenage girl was the first thing that caught his eye. Standing a bit over five feet tall, she was exceedingly pretty with an excellent complexion and black hair that tumbled down to her shoulders. She was dressed simply in a track jacket and jeans but even in that manner of dress she exuded an aura of elegance and beauty that only actresses have attained. At the same time he could sense a hint of an untamed animal under that aura that made her strangely alluring. Luciano's attention was not on her for very long. Standing next to her was a fairly big-sized blond man. He was dressed just as simply in a T-shirt, track jacket and jeans but what caught his attention were his eyes. Luciano had looked into the eyes of many men, and this one sent a chill up his spine. Those icy blue eyes were those of a killer. One who had and would continue to take lives for nothing more than a cause. The challenge now, Luciano thought, was to make the cause he kills for mine.

He gave a little wave and the pair walked over. "Come, take a seat. My name's Luciano. You must try the cappuccino here. It's excellent," Luciano said in as friendly a tone as he could muster.

The reply was cold and curt. "No thanks. My name's Walther, she's my co-worker Daniela and we're both here at your invitation. So what's your business?"

What a cold front, thought Luciano. "All you Germans talk about is business. No time at all for friendly small talk. Probably is difficult to be friendly, what with the two of you bringing your firearms to an informal meeting like this." He watched with a little smile as the cold front that Walther put up shattered into a million pieces in front of this formidable adversary. He leaned over to reassure the squirming German. "I just made an intelligent guess that appears to be on the mark. That's something that I do daily in my work at Section 1."

Walther was visibly relieved. "You really had me over there. I spent almost a week modifying these shoulder holsters for the both of us and thought you could still see them. How about a bit of what I do daily at Section 2? I see you're completely captivated by Daniela. She's at that age where her child-like innocence arouses your paternal instincts and her budding womanly charms arouses something else completely." He raised his hand to brush her hair and Daniela swatted it away, much like how a person might swat away an irritating fly.

"I see she's difficult to handle," observed Luciano.

Walther leaned forward conspiratorially. "The harder it is to hunt the prey, the more exciting the hunt becomes, wouldn't you agree?" Luciano laughed, understanding perfectly. "I don't think your life at the Section 2 is all about young maidens, right?"

At that Walther's expression darkened. "No. That was to illustrate a point. If she walked up to you would you kill her?" Luciano looked at those innocent eyes and shook his head. "Even if you knew that she was a highly trained assassin brainwashed by a government agency for complete obedience?" At that Luciano gave a little start. He thought it was merely a rumour in the underworld but here was one in the flesh, sitting right in front of him. "Santa Maria," was all that he could manage to utter.

Noticing that the Italian was completely speechless, Walther began to speak. "They are among Italy's finest. Brainwashed by a cocktail of drugs, they are then attached to an ex-military man to whom they obey mindlessly. If it is my will that she drown herself, she'd do so with a smile. Now they're being used to fight Italy's biggest undeclared civil war. The longer this war drags out, the more innocent lives get caught up in it. I joined the Border Guard in Germany to protect innocent people like these girls and using them to fight is really going against everything I stood for." Walther then lowered his voice. "In case you're wondering, bedding terrorists and then killing them is not Daniela's style. In less than a month we killed an arms dealer and a book-keeper in the most efficient fashion possible."

At that, Luciano snapped out of his stupor. Walther was right. The arms dealer was killed on the steps of his house by a sniper while the book-keeper's assailants didn't so much kill his bodyguards as executed them with short bursts of automatic fire and then killed the book-keeper by shooting him through the door of his room. Sitting in front of him was a duo that would be dangerous enemies and excellent allies. Now came the tricky part.

"I can offer you a solution. Work with me to end this and my organization will take care of you for the rest of your life." Luciano sipped at his coffee. He really needed it to steady his nerves.

"Does Section 1 take such good care of their workers?" Walther was really surprised.

Now came the risky part. "No. You see, to maintain a certain standard of living in Italy, I find it necessary to moonlight a little bit. It also helps to ensure that I'm on the winning side regardless of the outcome of this war you speak of."

Walther thought for a moment, and then grinned broadly. "You took a huge gamble, coming out like that. I respect that. Looks like wherever I go my job hardly differs. Fortunately for you me working for the Padania would involve killing criminals, not little girls." Luciano breathed a huge sigh of relief. He would live a little longer this time round. Walther carried on explaining his plans. "Tomorrow you would pick us up here and send us to Section 2 to resign from my job. After I tender my resignation I would really like to meet my new employers."

Something wasn't quite right here and Luciano could sense it. "I don't understand. Couldn't we meet after you've tendered your resignation?"

"Coming from organizations of that nature, I'm sure you understand perfectly. Did you really think that Section 2 would just let me walk out like that? When you resign you need to do it right. Besides it would really help me earn ... err ... brownie points among the bosses."

It took a bit of time for the full meaning to sink in. "You take bigger risks than I do. Ending a conflict by bringing down one combatant single-handedly is suicide, especially if their assassins are as formidable as Daniela here. I'd hate to lose a competent employee before he has even started work."

"Working with them for so long, you'd think I'd at least find out about their every weakness. Plus I'm catching them unaware with Daniela assisting me."

Luciano suddenly felt very eager to reprise his role as the escape driver.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Betrayal**

Daniela hummed a tuneless song as she loaded the magazine of her MP7. At this moment Luciano was waiting near the front doors for them in his car, the engine running for emergencies of any nature. At the same time, Walther was walking down the corridor towards the board room, decked out in full battle gear and HK 416 slung across his body. Most of the Agency's staff and handlers were holding a meeting in there and with Daniela in the dormitory where the girls were, it was a disaster waiting to happen. Once the firing started, Walther would go for the adults while Daniela would go for the young ones. Walther reached the wooden doors of the board room. He could hear the voices of at least a dozen people, none of whom were armed. Then, he turned the doorknob, threw open the door and burst into the room.

In the carpark, the staccato of rifle fire from the building reached Luciano's ears. Then the screaming began. Despite his experience fighting and killing for both Padania and Section 1, he was feeling sick. So this is how a war ends, Luciano thought, in a blaze of gunfire and senseless slaughter of humans. The gunfire died down quickly enough, with intermittent shots fired throughout the building as Walther and Daniela cleaned up survivors.

Suddenly the front doors of the building were flung open. Luciano was half expecting to see the well-built form of Walther or the slim figure of Daniela, but nothing could have prepared him for this. A small girl of about ten years of age with shoulder length black hair ran out for cover among some bushes. Luciano nearly mistook her for his daughter, save for the odd weapon she was fumbling with which he recognized as a P90. Then she disappeared into the bushes just as Walther appeared at the doorway. He lifted his rifle, fired a short burst and a shriek emanated from the bushes. Nimbly Walther moved towards the bush by bouncing on the balls of his feet and then fired a long burst into it, just to make sure she was dead. Suddenly, Luciano found himself extremely thankful that his view was blocked by the bushes. This was really going to haunt him for the rest of his life. Just then Daniela appeared at the doorway, MP7 up and ready to fire. Seeing that the adversary was not going to be a problem anytime soon, she joined Walther and together they got into the back seat of his car.

"Finally it's over. Let's go meet my new employer and after that we'll need a change of clothes," Walther said, pointing to the fine droplets of blood all over his clothes. Shooting someone at close range did that, especially with an automatic rifle.

"Is that how they resign from jobs in Germany?"

With a weary smile, Walther replied, "No, it seems only the Italians do it this way."


	3. Chapter 3

**The Fratello**

There was a ruckus at his boss's office. Walther refused to give up his rifle, simply because he didn't think it was proper that a soldier should go about unarmed. Naturally this did not sit well with the bodyguards and Luciano had his work cut out appeasing them. The boss was a portly gentleman with a receding hairline and pot belly showing clearly through his business suit. He was expecting to meet his new formidable addition to his group that his contact in Section 1had promised and when he saw the German walk in fully armed and with a beautiful girl in tow, he was nothing less than impressed.

"Ah, I've heard so much about you Walther. My name is Antonio. Please, take a seat," he said, rising from his chair from behind his desk. The trio strode over and sat down on the cushioned chairs in front of him, Daniela taking the seat on Walther's right while Luciano took the one on his left.

"Good afternoon Capo Antonio," Walther greeted him, placing his 416 across his lap and Daniela followed suit with her MP7. "I have left Section 2 to work for your organization. This lovely lady that I have brought along is one of the fabled child assassins from Section 2 that has been causing you much dismay-"

Walther was rudely cut off by someone bursting into the room. It was a girl with blond hair, blue eyes and yet she looked decidedly foreign, probably from one of the African states along the Mediterranean. However, her ethnicity was not the biggest concern at the moment, for in her hands was an aging shotgun with a long bayonet attached. The fresh blood on the blade explained why the guards let her in and at the same time spoke volumes about her willingness to use it if cooperation was not given. She was soon followed by a man dressed smartly in a coat and tie.

"Just like her," Walther finished quietly.

"What is the meaning of this? I don't understand," exploded Luciano. Didn't Walther bring down Section 2?

Walther gave him a sad look. "Yes, Luciano. You don't understand." Then he picked up his 416 and pulled back the charging handle. Luciano could only watch in horror as a black pyrotechnic commonly known as a blank cartridge left the chamber and sailed through the air. It was the last thing he saw before a black bag was pulled over his head and handcuffs were snapped onto his hands.


End file.
